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Friday, July 31, 2015

Guess what! I am still cooking with foil. In fact I made these Jambalaya Grill Packets three times before I finally took photos. I made it once just for me in recipe development, then I made it for the family. They all loved it. Then my favorite person in the world was here last weekend and I made it for him. I was busy having fun and did not even think about photos. So tonight I made it one more time so I could get photos to share with you. It is an easy, fresh twist on jambalaya. It has all the flavor of an oven cooked jambalaya, but the veggies are more apparent. And you do not have to heat up the house with the oven. You assemble the packets, place on the grill and come back 20 minutes later. Done! It is really a great summer meal. A super easy way to share a taste of Louisiana with your family and friends. I have made it with both white and brown converted rice; both work well. I think the white rice absorbs a little more liquid then the brown, but both taste great. I will caution you about seasoning. Rotel tomatoes have some heat so if your sausage is spicy go light on the creole seasoning. But if your a heat seeker, add red pepper flakes too. That is what I did tonight and it was deliciously spicy. So good! I hope you enjoy it as much as my family and friends.

Jambalaya
Grill Packets

Serves 4

Ingredients

2 cups
converted white or brown rice

2 tsp.
Chicken Tomato Bouillon

1 can Rotel
tomatoes

2 garlic
cloves, minced

1 onion,
chopped

1 small green
bell pepper, chopped

2 stalks
celery, sliced

12 Shrimp,
peeled and deveined

1 link of
turkey smoked sausage, sliced

1 large
boneless skinless chicken breast, cut into bite size pieces

Black pepper,
to taste

Kosher salt,
to taste

Creole
seasoning, to taste

2 bay leaves,
torn in half

Handful of
parsley, chopped

2 green
onion, sliced

Directions

Pre-heat
grill to high heat for 15 minutes.

Drain Rotel
tomatoes reserving the liquid in a 2 cup measuring cup. Add enough water to the
tomato liquid to equal 2 cups. Combine rice, bouillon and tomato water in a
bowl stir and set aside for at least 5 minutes. Place tomatoes over rice
mixture.

Chop garlic,
onion, bell pepper, and celery place on top of tomato and rice mixture. Stir to
combine and place in the center of a four pieces of heavy duty aluminum foil.
Place a fourth of the shrimp, sausage and chicken on top of each packet. Season
each with salt, pepper and creole seasoning. Tuck half a bay leaf in each
packet. Seal foil packet by rolling the sides of foil over the top; then seal
and secure the ends. Place on the grill lowering temp to medium. Cook at medium
for 20 minutes. Remove from grill and allow to rest five minutes. Serve
garnished with parsley and green onions.

Thursday, July 30, 2015

Yummy! Yummy! Breakfasts tacos! Or in our case lunch. Dear sister was off today and I had a very light work load today at home. So I finally got around to making these delicious Chorizo Potato and Egg Tacos. I have dreamed about them ever since I discovered my love for chorizo. When I lived in Texas it was common to see potato egg and sausage tacos on breakfast menus. They were so good! I just knew chorizo would take them to a whole different level. I started with the chorizo, I knew cooking it would render some tasty fat to cook the potatoes in. I precooked the potatoes a bit in the microwave to give them a head start. They browned crispy in the chorizo fat absorbing all the flavor. Last thing to prepare were the eggs, fluffy and cheesy with the addition of a Mexican cheese blend. Everything was so good together in a warm tortilla. With the spicy chorizo they don't even need salsa. They are great on their own. Perfect for breakfast, lunch or dinner. I will definitely make them again for years to come.

Chorizo
Potato and Egg Tacos

Serves
2

Ingredients

1 medium Idaho
potato, peeled and diced

1/2 (9 oz.) tube
of pork chorizo

1 tsp. vegetable
oil (optional)

Kosher salt
and black pepper, to taste

4 small flour
tortilla

1 tsp. butter

3 eggs,
beaten

4 Tbsp. Mexican cheese blend, divided

Directions

Place
potatoes in a microwave safe bowl. Rinse potatoes with water until water runs
clear. Drain water from potatoes, cover with plastic wrap and microwave on high
for 3 minutes.

Place a pan
over medium heat. Add chorizo to pan, cook stirring often until the chorizo is reddish
brown with crispy edges. Remove from pan with a slotted spoon and set aside.

Add a little
oil to chorizo fat if necessary and return pan to heat. Drain potatoes and add
to pan in a single layer. Season with salt and pepper. Brown on one side for 5
minutes and then flip potatoes and brown for 5 more minutes. Continue cooking
flipping potatoes until brown and crispy on all sides about an additional 5
minutes. Remove from pan and taste for seasoning adjust if necessary.

Place a dry
skillet on high heat, when hot warm the tortillas on both sides until warm and
blistered. Place in a clean dish towel to keep warm.

In pan used
to cook chorizo and potatoes, lower heat to medium low. Add butter to pan; when
melted pour in eggs and sprinkle with 2 Tbsp. of cheese. Season with salt and
pepper. Stir eggs gently folding until just set, remove from heat.

To assemble
the tacos, place two tortillas on each plate. Place 1/4 of the potatoes,
chorizo, eggs and remaining cheese on each tortilla.

Thursday, July 16, 2015

I am really enjoying cooking with foil these days. It is so easy and mess free. Something you might not know about me is I do not like cleaning pots and pans. I don't mind loading the dishwasher, but washing the pots is not my thing. They are heavy and cumbersome. So these foil packets on the grill are amazing! NO POTS!!! It is a complete meal in a foil pouch. For this foil pack I turned to those familiar Louisiana flavors. I started with rice, using converted rice pre-soaked in water and bouillon for extra flavor. Then I add the trinity of onions, celery and bell pepper. I chose both catfish and shrimp for the protein. And to finish the dish, I added a slow cooked tomato flavor with chili sauce and fresh tomatoes. The end results a deliciously moist catfish filet over rice and veggies with almost a shrimp creole topping. It really turned out great! I was a little worried that the rice would be over or under cooked. But it was perfect. I will definitely use this technique for more foil packets featuring rice in the future.

Creole
Catfish Foil Packet

Serves 1

Ingredients

1/2 cup
converted brown rice

1/2 tsp.
Chicken Tomato Bouillon

1/2 cup water

1 small
garlic clove, minced

1/2 cup
onion, chopped

1/2 cup green
bell pepper, chopped

1/2 cup
celery, sliced

1/2 cup grape
tomatoes, quartered

1
catfish filet

Mrs. Dash
Extra Spicy, to taste

Sea Salt, to
taste

2 to 3 Tbsp. Chili
Sauce

4 Shrimp,
peeled and deveined

2 to 3 sprigs
parsley, chopped

1 green
onion, sliced

Directions

Pre-heat
grill to high heat for 15 minutes.

Combine rice,
bouillon and water in a bowl stir and set aside for at least 5 minutes.

Chop garlic, onion,
bell pepper, celery and tomatoes place on top of rice mixture. Stir to combine
and place in the center of a piece of heavy duty aluminum foil. Place catfish
filet on top and season with Mrs. Dash and salt. Top with chili sauce then
place shrimp on top. Season the shrimp with more seasoning. Seal foil packet by
rolling the sides of foil over the top; then seal and secure the ends. Place on
the grill lowering temp to medium. Cook at medium for 20 minutes. Remove from
grill and allow to rest five minutes. Serve garnished with parsley and green
onions.

Sunday, July 12, 2015

This post started out as a taco idea, but I soon discovered that one ingredient stood out as the best part of the taco. The Peach Pico de Gallo was definitely the star. The taco was okay but nothing to drool over. The crunchy, sweet and juicy topping was something to get excited about. How did the new pico come to be? Well I wanted to make a fruit topping for a mustard grilled pork taco. I used my usual Pico de Gallo recipe and substituted 3 peaches for some of the tomatoes. I also used a yellow bell pepper instead of the green. This is what makes the peach pico crunchy. I omitted the garlic altogether and added some agave nectar to adjust the sweetness of the peaches. It really turned out amazing! It is great with chips for a sweet and salty snack. It complements BBQ flavors well. It is also delicious with pork, chicken, fish and shrimp. I also tried some on a ground turkey taco that I had seasoned with Piri Piri Barbecue Sauce. Very good! Definitely a great use of all those summer peaches available now. I will definitely make another batch before summer is gone. I hope you will too.

Peach Pico de GalloMakes about 5 cupsIngredients3 large peaches, pitted and diced1 roma tomato, diced1 yellow bell pepper, diced1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced1 small red onion, dicedJuice of 1 lime2 tsp olive oil1 tsp white balsamic vinegar1 tsp agave nectar, or to tasteHandful of cilantro, choppedKosher salt to tasteDirectionsChop all ingredients and combine in a large bowl. Add lime juice, oil, vinegar and cilantro. Stir to combine and season with salt to taste. Refrigerate until ready to serve. Serve with chips, BBQ, pork, chicken. shrimp, or fish. Try it as a salad topper too!

Tuesday, July 7, 2015

Recently I picked up a bottle of Frog Bone Bayou BBQ Sauce at Bergeron's. I bought it for Father's Day. When I did a taste test I decided it was too sweet for dear Dad but I could not wait to use it for a Hawaiian BBQ Chicken. The sweet Cajun heat of the sauce was just begging to be paired with chicken, pineapple, onions and peppers. If you ask me they are made for each other. This sauce is not too sweet and it has a little bit of Cajun spice. It is delicious on chicken but I bet it would be amazing on pork, shrimp and fish. I will be experimenting with it some more. This time I made another foil pack on the grill. I layered onions, peppers, pineapple and chicken. Then added a little more Cajun seasoning and a good drizzle of Bayou BBQ. Then I sealed the packet and grilled. It is such a great no watch grill meal. Fast and delicious. I did garnish with a little cilantro. It was fresh and delicious with the BBQ and pineapple flavors. I got a little lazy and did not make a side dish. But next time I will definitely make some rice to soak up the delicious sauce. There was quite a bit of delicious sweet and spicy sauce in the bottom of the packet. It would be great with Microwave Spiced Rice or Mexican White Rice as a side. So give it a try real soon for an easy sweet and spicy weeknight meal.

Hawaiian BBQ ChickenServes 2Ingredients1/2 medium large red onion, cut into 1" dice1/2 green bell pepper, cut into 1" dice1/2 can chunk pineapple in juice1 large boneless skinless chicken breast, cut into 1" piecesOlive oilKosher salt, to tasteCajun seasoning, to tasteFrog Bone Bayou BBQ Sauce (a sweet and spicy BBQ sauce)Cilantro to garnishDirectionsPreheat grill to high heat for 10 minutes.On one half of a sheet of heavy duty aluminum foil layer ingredients; onion, bell pepper, pineapple and season with salt. Season chicken with Cajun seasoning and drizzle with olive oil. Place chicken on top of veggies and drizzle with BBQ sauce. Seal foil packet by folding the other half of foil over the top; then seal and secure the edges. Place on the grill lowering temp to medium. Cook at medium for 10 minutes. Carefully flip packet over, be careful not to tear foil and cook 10 more minutes. Remove from grill and allow to rest 5 to 10 minutes. Serve garnished with cilantro.

Monday, July 6, 2015

Several weeks ago I made Picante Fish a recipe I found on a YouTube channel called Texas Style Cuisine. It was so easy, healthy and delicious. It gave me all kinds of ideas for more foil packet meals. The possibilities are endless and experimenting will surely be delicious. But even better the clean up is almost nothing. I mean I used a plate here to take a pretty picture for you, but honestly you could enjoy this meal right out of the foil pack. This foil packet is still southwest in flavor. I built a bed of canned black beans and corn, then topped with bell pepper, red onion and tomatoes. The veggies protect the fish and helps to keep the fish moist while grilling. To season the fish I used a homemade Fajita Seasoning and green salsa. Both add Southwest flair, but the salsa adds moisture and flavor. I topped with a fresh flourish of cilantro. It was so good! I love how you get almost all the food groups in one neat packet. This is such a fast, easy weeknight meal. I plan to make it many more times in the future. I hope you enjoy it too.

On a sheet of
heavy duty aluminum foil layer ingredients; black beans, corn, bell pepper,
onion and tomatoes. Season with salt, pepper and drizzle with olive oil. Place
catfish filet on top of veggies and season with fajita seasoning and green
salsa. Seal foil packet by rolling the sides of foil over the top; then seal
and secure the ends. Place on the grill lowering temp to medium. Cook at medium
for 20 minutes. Remove from grill and allow to rest five minutes. Serve
garnished with cilantro.

Saturday, July 4, 2015

Okay I am way too old to just be discovering Chorizo. Mom, dear sister and I tried a taqueria that was mentioned in the paper recently. Taqueria La Michoacanaboosts they have the "Best Mexican Tacos in Town". The Shreveport Times article and many others support their claim. They all commented that their dishes are authentic Mexican. We tried four different types of tacos. Dear sister tried the carne asada (roast beef). Mom and I were a little more adventurous and tried the cabeza (roast beef cheek) and chorizo (Mexican sausage). We all tried the al pastor (roast pork). I really really loved the chorizo! Everything was delicious but it just had the most flavor punch. Which is lucky for me because I can make the chorizo tacos at home. I don't know how I could do justice to any of the others. I will go back to Taqueria La Michoacana for all the others. I will not even attempt to make them at home. I have always been told chorizo taste like cumin, so I was never in a hurry to try it. They were wrong! I think it is so much more complex than that. I loved it! It was moist and crispy and so flavorful. I don't think it is healthy in the least but this is just one of those things you have to indulge in. In fact that is totally what I did this Friday. I made my tacos and thoroughly enjoyed them. In fact, I am looking at this photo and thinking when can I make more? I mean they are so simple, four maybe six ingredients and you have decadent tacos. I say four to six because the restaurant served theirs with lime wedges, green salsa and a fried serrano. I got so excited when mine were plated that I forgot all about the lime and salsa. Well let me tell you they are delicious both ways. So decadent! The chorizo is silky in texture and crispy around the edges. It is a little spicy too. I love the sweet caramelized onions and the fresh crunch of the raw onion. I love the fresh cilantro but it is not as noticeable in this taco as in others. It is just a fresh green topping. I love these tacos! Now I just need to stop myself from making them to often. Maybe it is a good thing I am just discovering the decadent fattiness of chorizo. Try it! Don't wait any longer!

Chorizo TacosServes 2; Makes 4 TacosIngredientsCanola oil1 yellow onion, divided1 tube (9 oz.) pork chorizoHandful of cilantro, chopped8 corn tortillas1 lime, cut into wedges (optional)Green salsa (optional)DirectionsSlice half of the onion into thin rings. Finely chop the other half of the onion and set aside. Heat a large pan over medium high heat, drizzle with oil and add sliced onion. Cook onion flipping often until translucent and browned on both sides. Remove from pan and set aside. Add chorizo to pan, cook stirring often until most of the moisture has cooked away and the chorizo is deep reddish brown with crispy edges. Remove from pan and set aside. Wipe pan clean with a paper towel. Drizzle in more oil and add corn tortillas. Fry tortillas for a few seconds on each side to soften them. Remove tortillas to a plate lined with paper towels. To assemble a taco place two tortillas in a stack on a plate. Top tortillas with 1/4 of the chorizo, caramelized onions, raw onions and cilantro. Serve with lime wedges and green salsa (optional).Print It

Growing up the family would go to the cafeteria on occasion. Piccadilly Cafeteria is what I remember most. The funny thing is I don't remember the entrees we would get. I remember choosing the appetizers and dessert. There was an Italian salad, gumbo and cheesecake. That is the extent of my memory of the dishes we would always get. I remember the cheesecake being a must have and then having to agonize over whether to get the salad or gumbo. The funny thing is I remember us all getting the gumbo, but Mom and Dad always complained because it wasn't like home. The salad on the other hand was always delicious. It was served ice cold in a little square baking dish with the dressing on the side. It sat on a chilled buffet table so even the dish was cold. This week I decided to relive those cafeteria days by making a Piccadilly Salad at home. The salad is very simple but very flavorful as well. It is a simple layered salad starting with iceberg lettuce. All the flavor comes from the salty and savory toppings. The Parmesan is nutty, the capers briny and the anchovies add salty, slightly fishy, umami flavor. Then you drizzle the whole thing with Italian dressing. With all this flavor there is no need for salt just some freshly ground black pepper. It is so good! Dear sister thought there may have been olives on the cafeteria salad. I tried it with and without. Both are great but I think I like without because the capers shine more. This is a great starter for a dinner party. You can assemble them ahead of time and refrigerate until ready to serve. They will be ice cold just like the salad of my youth.

Piccadilly SaladServes 1Ingredients1/4 head of iceberg lettuce, shredded1 to 2 Tbsp. Parmesan cheese, shredded1 to 2 tsp. capers, drainedBlack pepper, to taste2 anchovie filets2 Tbsp. Italian salad dressing (fat free works too)DirectionsAssemble salad in a chilled bowl. Layer lettuce, Parmesan and capers. Season with black pepper. Garnish with two anchovies and a shot glass filled with Italian dressing. To serve pour dressing over the top.Print It

About Me

I am a Louisiana girl, a licensed interior designer and I share my home with a very cute female pug. I love my family and friends. Most of all I love to cook for them.
Soup Spice Everything Nice is a blog with recipes, family recipes(mostly cajun), soup recipes, spice blends, interior design, and other nice things.